According to the Los Angeles Times, State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) has introduced a bill to make it easier for illegal immigrants in California to obtain professional licensing designations, including a license to practice medicine.
The Times reports that California already is at the vanguard for integrating illegal immigrants into mainstream society by granting them drivers licenses, financial aid, and protection from deportation for minor crimes.
SB 1159 will allow those who have come into the country illegally to use a federal taxpayer identification number instead of a Social Security number to join about 40 professional boards including boards for doctors, dentists, psychologists, pharmacists, real estate agents, security guards, and other healthcare professionals.
Lara explains that the new measure is simply an extension of other bills that have been passed in California in the past few years and will let “more Californians have an effective means of economic mobility and self-sufficiency.” Last year, illegal immigrants were granted permission to be attorneys and practice law without the use of a Social Security card.
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